I really enjoyed this book so much! I flew through this book and I was so upset when it was over. The plot was fast paced but not much which is what I really enjoy. I am obsessed with the characters and can not wait to read more by this author. I will be recommending this book to all of my friends and family.

This was a DNF for me. A bit too many point of views and the writing style just didn’t mesh with my tastes. I loved the premise and really thought it would be a hit but I think I am just the wrong audience.

Schneiderhan, Caitlin, Medici Heist. Pgs. 432. Feiwel and Friends, 2024.

Set in 1517 Florence, the city is controlled by the Medicis. Using mountain of indulgence money, Pope Leo X is bolstering prestige and power to run the city. Rosa Cellini has been hired to steal something from the Medicis. Hiring a team filled with a tinkerer, a Khalid fighter, a master of disguise, and the reluctant help of an artist named Michelangelo, the group attempt to score the big score. As Rosa and others’ pasts come back to haunt them, will they succeed?
The plot drags in the middle but is well written and a typical heist plot. The characters are well-developed, unique, and draw the reader into the story. Character arcs are interlocking and work well together to bring the story to a satisfying conclusion. Fans of heist novels and historical adventure will want to pick this one up. 4 stars, Gr 7 and up

Please note: This was a review copy given to us by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. No financial compensation was received.

Heist? Found family? Renaissance FLORENCE?! Count me 100% in!

Medici Heist is a “heavy on the fiction” historical fiction, so it’s borrowing a lot from Florence (the Medici, Michelangelo, apprenticeships) while creating a fun and obviously unrealistic/completely accurate tale. The cast of characters is so lovable, with each chapter alternating a perspective. I loved learning the characters’ motives and the gentle romance was so sweet!

The reason this wasn’t a 5 star for me is that I wish there was a little more… something? Michelangelo makes a star appearance, but I think it would’ve been really interesting to incorporate more biographical information on him (there’s a lot out there). One of the characters in the heist group, Agata, is cast to the side and I’m honestly not sure what her role was? I’m inclined to say there were almost too many characters, but I really did love many of them. Giacomo was the star for me!

This gets a thumbs-up from me, mostly because I just love the vibes. More Italian Renaissance fiction!!!

What a fun adventure! I loved how a little bit of history was tied in to fill out a great story; action packed and thoughtful. Well done.

I don't typically read YA so I know I'm not the target audience but I did like the historical references a lot. Loved the setting too.

I like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for a chance at letting me read this book.

It pains to say I could only make it 20% into this book and I have no idea what I am reading.

Picture it like this. We know it takes place in Italy, Medici's and all that... Now picture a chaotic mess of people, ideas, descriptions, action and no sense of plot or direction and this is that book.

What has me baffled is this is one of the writers from Stranger Things. So how in the world could this be so chaotically done? I was looking for fluidity, someone to focus on on, something to get me to stay on track. I felt like I was going to have an anxiety attack reading this book because there was nothing making sense and no sense of movement, pause, or direction.

I'll be curious reading the reviews for this, but for me, this is certainly the first time I encountered a book where I felt like no editor was present and someone dumped a big block of text and ideas and pushed 'send' into the world.

"Medici Heist" by Caitlin Schneiderhan is a thrilling YA debut set in Renaissance Italy, where a sharp-witted teenage thief named Rosa Cellini leads a team of skilled misfits on a dangerous and daring heist for fortune, freedom, and revenge against a corrupt Pope.

The story unfolds in Florence, 1517, a city steeped in intrigue, opulence, murder, and betrayal. Rosa Cellini, a seventeen-year-old conwoman, arrives in Florence on the same day that the Medici Pope, Leo X, returns to assume power. Rosa is not there by coincidence; she has a plan to counter the Pope's extortion of indulgence money from the people of Florence.

To execute the Renaissance's greatest robbery, Rosa assembles a team of specially chosen and highly skilled misfits: Sarra the tinkerer, Khalid the fighter, and Giacomo, the irrepressible master of disguise. To ensure a smooth entrance into the fortress-like Palazzo Medici, Rosa even enlists the reluctant help of the famed artist Michelangelo.

As the authorities close in and the Medici's grip tightens on the city, old secrets resurface, and tensions within the group escalate. What starts as a robbery becomes the key to saving the city itself, provided Rosa and her team can navigate the complexities of their mission and prevent their own destruction.

"Medici Heist" promises an exciting blend of historical fiction, heist, and adventure, with a charismatic and resourceful protagonist leading a diverse team against the backdrop of Renaissance Italy. The novel explores themes of power, corruption, and the lengths individuals will go to defy injustice.

This is a good, standalone book that will pull in even the most reluctant reader...especially movie fans. It's fast-paced, runs a plot and pace very similar to that of the Ocean's movies (Oceans 11, 12, 13), and teaches a little bit of history along the way!

tl;dr
Great heist book! Well-plotted, with a lovable cast, and plenty of complications.

Thoughts
I am an incredibly simple person. I see "heist," I click. Sometimes it is a mistake, but today I was richly rewarded. This is a solid heist book, but it also hits all my favorite found family notes, so I am extremely happy. I know Ocean's Eleven is used as a comp for basically every heist book, but I find it apt to use it now because the narrative structure is also similar. A mastermind rolls into town, picks up their favorite partner, and then the two of them recruit a team and go after the big score as a group. There may or may not be a personal angle to all of this. There are definitely complications and twists all along the way. There're also a lot of complex relationship things going on, including family stuff, found family stuff, young love, slightly older love, and even more family stuff. All the characters (sans one, who really seems to have it together) have their own arcs to work through outside of the heist, but the interlocking stories work really well as a foundation, rather than a distraction to the main thread. This book is also a standalone, so it's free of those pesky cliffhangers. If you love a good heist, you want this book in your library stat.

There can never be enough books with twists and turns and so I appreciated this book! I will be adding it to my classroom and school library!